Biya and PM Absent as Presidential Election Meeting Held Behind Closed Doors

Yaoundé – July 2, 2025: A recent administrative meeting held at the Presidency of the Republic has sparked serious concerns among political observers in Cameroon. Convened without the presence of either President Paul Biya or Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, the gathering was chaired by Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Secretary-General at the Presidency, and involved government ministers and parliamentarians.

Officially, the meeting was held to “prepare for the October 2025 presidential election.” But analysts and insiders, including political commentator Bessala Valère Bertrand, argue that this meeting may in fact signal a silent institutional takeover—one that confirms long-standing rumors that President Biya is no longer effectively running the country.

Signs of a Power Grab

Bessala breaks down the inconsistencies and political oddities surrounding the meeting, suggesting it was less about electoral preparation and more about damage control by an elite cabal operating behind the scenes. According to him, several key details raise red flags:

• Who signed the invitation? Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, not the President or Prime Minister, chaired and signed off on the meeting.

• Who was missing? Both President Biya and Prime Minister Dion Ngute were entirely absent—an unusual omission for a national political consultation.

• Where was the meeting held? At the Presidency itself—not at the headquarters of the ruling RDPC party or at a government ministry.

• Who was invited? Ministers, MPs, and senators from both the ruling party and opposition—all grouped regionally, not by political alignment.

• Who authorized it? There’s serious doubt whether President Biya even knows the full purpose of these meetings.

These observations suggest that the real goal was to reassure the political elite amid growing instability, rising resignations, and the visible absence of Paul Biya from national affairs.

A Government Acting Without Its President?

Bessala argues that the true purpose of this initiative is to manage the internal panic triggered by recent political shifts, especially the high-profile resignations of former ministers like Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maïgari. These moves have added fuel to the belief that Biya is no longer in control, physically or politically.

He goes further: what is unfolding now appears to be a calculated effort by a power-hungry inner circle to preemptively maintain control in case Biya is forced out or becomes incapacitated. According to Bessala, officials close to the presidency fear that more defections could wake Biya from his current passivity and force a cabinet reshuffle, which could end their political grip.

Rather than risk being purged, they are allegedly trying to buy time—either to tighten their control further or prepare for Biya’s eventual exit on their own terms.

A Hidden Agenda?

The language of the convocation letter offers a final clue. The phrase “in preparation for the presidential election” is suspicious in itself. The meeting was framed as a national issue, not a party one—again reinforcing the idea that the Presidency is being used as a party machine, and not as an impartial national institution.

Meanwhile, the total exclusion of the Prime Minister, even though his own ministers were summoned, speaks volumes. It suggests that key decisions are now being made by actors outside constitutional authority, behind closed doors, and without public scrutiny.

Conclusion: A Nation in the Shadows

What’s happening in Cameroon appears to be more than political theater. It is possibly the consolidation of a shadow government that has sidelined a visibly absent President Biya, in favor of unelected power players operating from within the Presidency.

Whether this is simply crisis management or the opening moves of a full-blown institutional hijacking remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the Cameroonian people are being governed by actors they didn’t elect—and the silence at the top speaks louder than any statement.